EU challenges British ban on sandeel fishing in North Sea
A legal challenge against Britain's ban on commercial sandeel fishing in the North Sea has begun in a European court.
Sandeels are a crucial food source for UK seabirds, including the internationally important puffin colony at Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire. The UK government introduced a closure order in March 2024 to protect dwindling sandeel stocks by prohibiting trawlers from netting them in English waters.
The EU argues the ban is "discriminatory and disproportionate," threatening Denmark’s commercial sandeel fishing industry. Danish fishing groups claim stocks remain healthy and dispute the scientific evidence behind the ban.
Conservationists, including the RSPB, strongly support the measure, warning that reversing it could endanger seabird populations. Bernadette Butfield, RSPB senior marine policy officer, highlighted that 62% of UK seabird species are in decline and that the ban benefits not just puffins but also kittiwakes and other vulnerable species.
Dave O’Hara, senior site manager at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, emphasised the wider ecological and economic importance of sandeels, which sustain marine wildlife and attract thousands of visitors to the Yorkshire coast.
Sandeels are commercially harvested for animal feed and oil production. Danish industry representatives argue the ban has significantly impacted their livelihoods, with Esben Sverdrup-Jensen of the Danish Pelagic Producers' Association stating it has cut traditional fishing grounds by half.
The case, heard at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, will assess whether the UK’s ban breaches the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). This is the first legal dispute between the UK and the EU since Brexit, with a ruling expected in April.
UK conservationists stress that the verdict could have far-reaching implications for seabird populations along the east coast.
30 January 2025
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